cowdery



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I w. H. GOWDERY.

FORK 0R RAKE AND THE ART OF MAKING THE SAME.

Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

N. PETERS. PhatmLiIlmgmpller. Washinglnm D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W; H. OOWDERY.

FORK 0R RAKE AND THE ART OF MAKING THE SAME.

No. 304,993. 9 Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lilhogmphcr WashmginmllC.

rrnD STATES ATENT Orricn.

WARREN H. OOWDERY, OF ASHTABULA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL R.HARRIS, OF SAME PLACE.

FORK, OR RAKE AND THE ART OF MAKING THE SAME.

SJ'PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,993, datedSeptember 9. 1884.

Application filed February 1, 1884. (No model.) I

To a, whom it nmy concern/.1

Be it known that I, WARREN H. COWDERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ashtabula, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manufacture ofRakes and Forks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of he invention, such as will enable others skil ed inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of rakes and forks known asdungforks, hay-forks, earth-forks, and the like; and the noveltyconsists in the process by which the blank is treated, as will be morefully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object is to cheapen the construction of such articles by soarranging the steps of treatment as to requirea less number of heats, toafford a stronger article with a better finish, and to economize bothtime and labor.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 'is a plan view of ablank, showing in dotted lines the manner in which the blank is cut by.dies to have the portion cut out of the longitudinal center of one blankto form the shank of another; Fig. 2, a plan view showing in full linesthe blank as formed by the first complete action of the dies andcutters, and showing in dottedlines the parts bent for subsequentoperations. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the blank in a still furtherstage of progress and Fig. 4 a four-tined fork thus made. Fig. 5 is aview illustrating a form in which the blank has heretofore been cut.Fig. 6 is a view of a blank from which forks or rakes having five ormore tines are out, and Fig. 7 the fork-blank separated. Fig. 8represents the fork-blank shown in Fig. 7 at a later stage of treatment.Fig. 9 represents the form in which blanks similar to that shown in Fig.8 have heretofore been out. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the manner ofcutting the blanks for two forks out of a single piece of metal. Fig. 11shows one of such blanks separated, and Fig. 12 a finished fork fromsuch blank.

The invention is designed as an improvesary, further, that the tinesshould be of uniform width at their junction with the body,

and that they should be properly spaced at uniform distances from eachother. To aocomplish these ends at small expense and with the fewestnumber of heatings is a desideratum.

As shown in Fig. 9, the several teeth may be out and the body and shankformed at one operation of proper dies; but the spacing of the teeth andtheir proper manipulation to draw them out to suitable shape and length(are difficult, asthe spacing-hammer must be driven between eachadjacent pair of teeth, and frequent heatings of the blank are required;or, as shown in Fig. 5, the amount of metal in the body must be properlyhammered out to form the spacing-recess, as seen at pp. In any of thesemethods where the simple slit is made to mark the teeth the manipulationof the metal at the inner end of the slit is liable to leave thematerial rough and broken, requiring a considerable amount of labornecessary to give the properfinish. Added to this is the objection thatthe abrupt bendings of the metal at such points tend to break anddestroy the tough texture or fiber of the metal, and render thecompleted tool weak and liable to break or bend.

In my invention the blank A is, by proper dies, out into fork-blanks, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1-t-hat is to say, with a curved body, ashank, and sufficient metal upon either side of the junction of theshank with the body to make two teeth. At this same operation of thedies holes are made in the blank, as

shown at C, and these holes are designed to not only mark the width ofthe tines when finished, but when the sides B are turned down, as shownin Fig. 2 in dotted lines to the right, to give the proper width to thebody. These holes are preferably of oblong form, are cleanly cut, andwhen the teeth are turned to be drawn out provide an incline which willpre vent backing ofthe metal when being hammered, as shown in Fig. 3.

The slits c, which sever the material from the holes 0 to the end of theblanks, may be made at the same operation of the dies.

It will be observed that with a single heat the blank may be put intothe form shown in Fig. 3, after which it is only necessary to draw outthe teeth and bend the outer ones, as seen in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have shown several forms of blanksin which my lnvention is employed, A, Fig. 1, represents a bar of steel,from which blanks B are cut by suitable dies in the form shown in Fig.2to wit, having a curved edge provided with a projecting portion, 1),which forms the shank or tang of a four-tined fork when finished, andthe portion 2) is cut from the middle of the succeeding blank betweenthe middle tines thereof. The lower end of the portion Z; is enlargedand curved at its lower edge in lines concentric with the edge of theblank, the points at on determining the distance or space between theteeth while the curved lower edge of the blank is straightened out intothe position shown in Fig. 3.

0 represents apertures, preferably pearshaped, which are about on a linewhich, if extended downwardly therefrom,would touch the lower edge ofthe enlargement upon the tang b, and the distance between the points atm before named and the points a n in the apertures Odetermines thethickness of the teeth at their bases. WVhen the blank shown n Fig. 2 isbeing bent into the form shown in Fig. 3, the angles at the points on mn n are easily finished, leaving a smooth surface instead of rough anduneven angles having flaws, cracks, and fissures.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I have shown another form of fork or rake blank tobe used in making rakes or forks having more than four teeth or tines,said blank having apertures O at the base of each tooth or tine, andalso determining the thickness of the tooth at its junction withthehead. Fig. 8 shows the blank thus formed in one stage of itsmanufacture, and it will be seen that cold-shuts will not be formed whenthe teeth are being drawn out, and also that the angles between theteeth and head will be smooth and even.

Fig. 9 represents old forms in which blanks are cut.

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 represent still another form of blank in which myinvention is employed, the apertures D being somewhat different in formfrom those shown in Figs. 1,

2, and 7, although placed in the same relative position-to wit, at theinner terminus of each cut-to form the teeth, and also determining thethickness of each tooth where they join the head or body. The form lastshown is applicable to forks or rakes of any number of teeth, the curvedportions d d of the apertures D insuring a smooth angle between theteeth and head when finished, as shown at d d in Fig. 12.

I have found by practice that the use of my improvement serves to reducethe expense of manufacturing the class of implements named herein byenabling me to make such imple ments in less time, more durable,cheaper, and with a better finish than follows from the practice of anymethod heretofore used.

I do not limit myself to the exact form of rake or fork blanks hereinshown, since my invention consists, essentially, in the forma tion oftwo or more apertures to determine the length of cut to form the teethor tines and the thickness thereof at their junction with the head andthe space between the teeth or tines, as well as insure smooth, evenangles.

I am aware that fork-blanks have been made in which the tang or shank ofone blank is cut from the middle of the next succeeding blank, and donot claim such form.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the gist of myinvention lies in the process by which time and labor are saved and abetter result attained, and in a blank having substantially the formsshown in Figs. 2, 7, and 11, adapted to be forged into the forms shownin Figs. 3, 8, and 12 at one heat ing, and having its junctions of thebody and teeth formed by a perforation of the material, which gives afinish to the corners and allows a ready forging or drawing out of theteeth.

WVhat I claim as new is- 1. The improvement in the art of making rakesand forks consisting in punching holes in the blank to thereby indicatethe width of the body and the width of the teeth at their junction, andserve at the same time as terminations to the slits made to separate theteeth.

2. The fork-blank herein described ,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, havingthe body spaced by the material cut away to form the shank of thepreceding blank, and having the apertures 0 formed by cutting out aportion of the material, and having splits from said apertures to theend of the blank, the said blank being adapted to be bent, as shown inFig. 3,to bring the apertures G on a line with'the central aperture, andforged to form the finished article with little reheating, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN I-I. COWDERY.

\Vitnesses:

J OSEPH FoRREs'r, J os. R. EDsoN.

